Knowing how to travel (fly).

[sam_gordon]

I considered putting this in the transportation board, but thought there would be more discussion here.

Case #1
https://nypost.com/2024/06/13/us-ne...ear-resort-clothing-when-delta-loses-luggage/

If you don't want to read... couple flies to St. Lucia. Delta delayed the husband's bag for three days (all of this according to the couple). He was forced to buy expensive resort wear from Sandals which had other guests thinking he worked there.

In addition,

Still, the couple struggled not to focus on the missing luggage, which had about $4,000 worth of Hasty’s belongings, they told the Daily Mail.

“There were thousands of dollars [worth of items] in his bag and this was not good enough,” Jehl said of Delta’s response to the lost suitcase.

“Shane had brought all of his best clothes – all of his medication, contact lenses, toiletries and his underwear,” she added.

There are some lessons here that I thought most travelers would know, but maybe not...
#1) If you're checking multiple suitcases, CROSSPACK. This won't help if none of your suitcases make it to your destination, but in this case, it seems the wife's suitcase did make it.
#2) ALWAYS have enough with you on the plane (this is why you take a carry on even if checking a bag is free) to handle the first 24 hours. That would have given him at least two sets of clothes (what he flew down in and what was in the carry on). Wear stuff on day #1, wash it in the sink that night, wear outfit #2 while #1 is drying. No, not ideal, but puts a band aid on the problem.
#3) NEVER put your medicine, contact lenses, or expensive items in your checked luggage. I'm sorry, if I'm Delta and the above couple says there was $4k worth of content in the suitcase, I'm asking for receipts.

Case #2
No link, just something I saw yesterday at National airport in DC...
I hear announcements at the next gate over (paraphrasing) "We are reboarding flight <whatever> to Detroit. Please return to gate B17 to reboard the plane". And people do.
Some time later (jetway door is shut, plane still at gate), I hear someone knocking on the door. A young lady (passenger) is knocking on the door trying to get in. Shortly after, a male passenger comes up and says "why can't we get on?". He seems to be at least slightly inebriated. A couple of minutes after, another woman passenger joins them.
Gate agent comes out of the jetway and says "sorry, can't let you on". From what I can overhear of the conversation, the flight was going to Detroit, Detroit had some weather event, plane couldn't land, and returned to DC. Passengers were disembarked and told reboarding would happen in an hour. Apparently Delta got things sorted out in less than an hour. The three passengers took the "hour" literally, missed all the announcements (which *I* heard), and missed the flight. I did hear one of them (I think inebriated guy) try to say "they're denying us boarding, we should get compensated".

So they got rebooked on a flight leaving a couple of hours later. I heard that one board. Shortly after it left, I saw the inebriated passenger from above still in the concourse on a phone. He proceeds to another gate agent and starts complaining about not being able to get to Detroit that night (it's now after 8p and the number of flights leaving has dwindled). Apparently he missed the rebooked flight because he was denied boarding for being drunk.
He's complaining about how he wasn't hurting anyone, needs to be at work (in Chicago?) at 7am this morning, doesn't want to pay for a hotel room in DC, etc, etc. Fortunately he wasn't belligerent, but he argued with this gate agent for 45 minutes before walking away.

Lessons here:
#1) If there is a delay on your flight, or heaven forbid, you have to deplane, do not wander too far from the gate. Sure, go to the bathroom, get some togo food, but camp out at the gate. If whatever problem can get solved earlier, the airline will try to get back on schedule.
#2) Know that yes, you CAN be denied boarding for APPEARING to be intoxicated. Don't spend all of your extra time at the airport bar.
#3) Airlines are not under obligation to provide lodging or meal vouchers if weather is the cause of the delay, or if you miss boarding.

 

[Kennywood]

 

[Christine]

Ugh...people's behavior is just so dreadfully awful and I think they are just dumb on top of it. It's amazing they can actually even hold down jobs.

Last year when we flew to San Diego, my husband's bag did not get loaded on the plane. We didn't know when we'd get it--it wasn't lost--just held back for weight issues on the plane. It would have been nice to know at the time that they were going to put it on the last flight out. But my husband was panicked and that's when he told me that HE TOOK HIS WALLET OUT OF HIS PANTS AND PUT IT IN HIS SUITCASE. Granted, he had his ID with him, but nothing else. Oh, the words I said to him. I just thought that was an incredibly stupid move. I don't think his reputation (with me) has recovered yet, lol!

But we are smart enough to pack all our important stuff in the carryon. I was still thinking, though, even with the so-so stuff "lost" in the bag, it was going to be pricey to replace. He had some golf shoes, running shoes, that type of stuff.

 

[BrianL]

I just wish people would understand basic airport/airplane ettiquette!

• Don't try to board the plane ahead of your group or number and don't crowd around the door.
• Don't put two bags in the overhead when one of them can fit under the seat (fine if there is extra room, but not on a full flight).
• Don't try to get off the plane ahead of those seated in front of you - let them go first.
• Don't watch movies/play games on a tablet with the volume up - USE HEADPHONES!

There are probably about a million more, but those are some that I find really annoying.

 

[sam_gordon]

I just wish people would understand basic airport/airplane ettiquette!

• Don't try to board the plane ahead of your group or number and don't crowd around the door.
• Don't put two bags in the overhead when one of them can fit under the seat (fine if there is extra room, but not on a full flight).
• Don't try to get off the plane ahead of those seated in front of you - let them go first.
• Don't watch movies/play games on a tablet with the volume up - USE HEADPHONES

There are probably about a million more, but those are some that I find really annoying.

I'm guilty of your second one, every time I fly. In addition to my backpack and carryon, I also have a CPAP bag (won't fit in the carryon and since it's "medical", is allowed as 3rd carryon). Backpack under the seat, carryon & cpap bag in the overhead (obviously doesn't take as much space as a carryon, but does take up some. I try to avoid bulkhead seats because then that means I have THREE bags going in the overhead.

I'd rather not travel with my CPAP, but then my doctor yells at me. LOL. It won't fit in the carryon (week's worth of clothes), and even if it did, I don't want to put it in there in case I have to "pink tag" the carry on.

 

[sam_gordon]

DW and I have had MULTIPLE bags on multiple trips not make connections or otherwise get "lost". Including all of our checked luggage on a 10 day trip to Spain. Fortunately, we were covered with our carryon, but after the second day, Delta told us to go purchase what we needed. We found a Wal*mart type store and got a couple days worth of items. The bags were delivered the next day.

 

[BrianL]

I'm guilty of your second one, every time I fly. In addition to my backpack and carryon, I also have a CPAP bag (won't fit in the carryon and since it's "medical", is allowed as 3rd carryon). Backpack under the seat, carryon & cpap bag in the overhead (obviously doesn't take as much space as a carryon, but does take up some. I try to avoid bulkhead seats because then that means I have THREE bags going in the overhead.

I'd rather not travel with my CPAP, but then my doctor yells at me. LOL. It won't fit in the carryon (week's worth of clothes), and even if it did, I don't want to put it in there in case I have to "pink tag" the carry on.

That's okay in the case of a medical necessity - that's not against the rules. Also, of course blukhead seats where you are instructed that all bags go in the overhead. No problems there.

 

[sam_gordon]

That's okay in the case of a medical necessity - that's not against the rules. Also, of course blukhead seats where you are instructed that all bags go in the overhead. No problems there.

I will admit, part of me feels bad about it. I get over it quickly. lol

 

[BrianL]

I will admit, part of me feels bad about it. I get over it quickly. lol

Don't feel bad - you are allowed to have that additional bag and are stowing it as instructed per airline rules. It's the people who don't want to do as instructed, even when the flight attendants are constantly askng them to, that bother me.

 

[gmi3804]

People think that because they paid for something that they're excused from also being responsible and not subject to the consequences of their negligence.

Case in point: A friend once went downtown (Chicago) for a haircut at a tony Oak St. salon with a 50% off coupon she got, which is the only way she'd ever go there in the first place. She got a parking ticket for not paying the parking meter, and felt that the salon should reimburse her for the ticket because, as she explained to them, she was "a good customer." Her words. I looked at her, dumbfounded, as she expected me to take her side.

 

[Moliphino]

Ugh...people's behavior is just so dreadfully awful and I think they are just dumb on top of it. It's amazing they can actually even hold down jobs.

Last year when we flew to San Diego, my husband's bag did not get loaded on the plane. We didn't know when we'd get it--it wasn't lost--just held back for weight issues on the plane. It would have been nice to know at the time that they were going to put it on the last flight out. But my husband was panicked and that's when he told me that HE TOOK HIS WALLET OUT OF HIS PANTS AND PUT IT IN HIS SUITCASE. Granted, he had his ID with him, but nothing else. Oh, the words I said to him. I just thought that was an incredibly stupid move. I don't think his reputation (with me) has recovered yet, lol!

But we are smart enough to pack all our important stuff in the carryon. I was still thinking, though, even with the so-so stuff "lost" in the bag, it was going to be pricey to replace. He had some golf shoes, running shoes, that type of stuff.

I overheard some people at customs at Logan this weekend tell the officer their passports were in their their checked bag (which you pick up after passport control), someone had to come over and escort them off to get the bag with the passports. I'm not sure how you even manage that. Maybe had to gate check a carryon and forgot about the passports?

DW and I have had MULTIPLE bags on multiple trips not make connections or otherwise get "lost". Including all of our checked luggage on a 10 day trip to Spain. Fortunately, we were covered with our carryon, but after the second day, Delta told us to go purchase what we needed. We found a Wal*mart type store and got a couple days worth of items. The bags were delivered the next day.

My sister and I had a similar situation in Spain. Neither of our bags made our connection for a two week trip. Aer Lingus told us they would be on the flight the next day (only one DUB-MAD flight per day) and they'd deliver to our hotel. Next day we heard nothing, no bags. We wound up going to the airport ourselves on day 2, and I've never been so happy as when I saw our luggage on the belt. We had a train to Granada early that afternoon, which would have made getting the luggage to us a lot more complicated.

 

[barkley]

i can't imagine packing medication in checked luggage. if it's lost it can be impossible to refill-i miscalculated how much to take of one scrip on a vacation out of state. despite having refills available and the same national pharmacy chain available i could not get a refill due to that particular drug's regulations in that state (luckily it was not vital). i now take a full week's more than we need of every scrip.

i had my luggage delayed on one trip. just by a day and the airline transported it from the airport to where i was staying. i had booked the trip using my very vanilla (no annual fee) amex card and with a quick call they advised me to go to whatever store(s) were convenient to secure sleepwear, a change of clothes, shoes/bathing suit if needed, personal items...charged it to the card/they covered it as soon as i sent the receipts.

 

[georgina]

I was sitting in an area with multiple gates last year, and a couple got to the gate after the door was closed for their connection (it happens, has happened to me) The guy became very verbally abusive and was told he would not be put on another flight by that airline.

 

[Kingkonig]

I overheard some people at customs at Logan this weekend tell the officer their passports were in their their checked bag (which you pick up after passport control), someone had to come over and escort them off to get the bag with the passports. I'm not sure how you even manage that. Maybe had to gate check a carryon and forgot about the passports?

That would have been my guess. I've noticed more and more flights are requiring people to check luggage at the gate - and since experienced fliers are usually the ones who board first (see: status with airlines), they'll be the ones who don't have to check it at all. So you're left with less knowledgeable fliers having to check their carry-on luggage, maybe not knowing that they need their passports on their person.

 

[sam_gordon]

That would have been my guess. I've noticed more and more flights are requiring people to check luggage at the gate - and since experienced fliers are usually the ones who board first (see: status with airlines), they'll be the ones who don't have to check it at all. So you're left with less knowledgeable fliers having to check their carry-on luggage, maybe not knowing that they need their passports on their person.

I do think airlines announce that anything needed (medicines, PASSPORTS, batteries, etc) need to be taken out of the bags before they're checked. Of course, we know from my story how well people listen to announcements.

 

[Pooh2]

I had a busy body on a SW flight lecturing me about the amount of my luggage because of my cpap bag.
Uh, if you are going to mind someone else's business, study up on the rules before boarding!

I do often put the cpap bag under the seat in front of me after having the hose crushed in the overhead by someone else forcing their bag in the space.
We now travel with medical tape or a small duct tape for hose repair.

 

[Uncle Coaster]

I have to admit, I don’t follow one of these rules myself. I strongly dislike carrying bags through security, around an airport, or onto a plane. If I can go without anything I do but never more than one light bag that I can put under the seat.

That means I (almost) never have 24 hours worth of clothing with me. I think twice I’ve had to do some shopping to make up for delayed bags but I’d much rather do that twice over the years than carrying extra baggage with me every single time.

I understand that goes against traditional wisdom but it works for me.

 

[Kennywood]

For sake of your peace of mind, buy some Apple Air Tags and slip one in each of the checked bags.

 

[sam_gordon]

I have to admit, I don’t follow one of these rules myself. I strongly dislike carrying bags through security, around an airport, or onto a plane. If I can go without anything I do but never more than one light bag that I can put under the seat.

That means I (almost) never have 24 hours worth of clothing with me. I think twice I’ve had to do some shopping to make up for delayed bags but I’d much rather do that twice over the years than carrying extra baggage with me every single time.

I understand that goes against traditional wisdom but it works for me.

If that's how someone wants to travel, that's fine. It sounds like you understand the risks, and if things don't work like they should, you're not going to go to (social) media and complain.

 

[wvjules]

If I'm flying direct I never bring a back up set of clothes in my carry-on. I will only do that if I have a connecting flight or if my direct flight looks like there might be weather issues. Nothing like being stranded overnight without clean undies and a toothbrush!